


in which edwin and ana jarvis become amateur sleuths

by 20poundsofcrazy



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bondage, F/F, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, ana and jarvis are too pure for this world, and she kinda scares me, basically dottie is creepy, but also i love her so, daniel is amazing and we don't deserve him, i can't title things so pls ignore that, implied rape/non-con?? idk its up to you how to interpret it, peggy makes some bad decisions and then some good ones, so naturally it turned into angst, this was originally supposed to be a comedy but i'm not funny, well its kinda happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:55:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28819581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/20poundsofcrazy/pseuds/20poundsofcrazy
Summary: After a rather strange phone conversation with Miss Carter, Jarvis and Ana decide to investigate further, but they might not like what they find...After being discovered by the Jarvises, Peggy is forced to confront her actions and attempt to remedy the unintentional damage she's caused.
Relationships: Peggy Carter/Daniel Sousa, Peggy Carter/Dottie Underwood
Kudos: 5





	in which edwin and ana jarvis become amateur sleuths

**Author's Note:**

> look i have no idea what this is okay?? insert that tumblr post that says "i can't write and that's everyone else's problem"   
> but hopefully you enjoy it anyway and if not, my apologies in advance lmao

There was no reason to suspect it might be a bad time to call. Five o’clock in the afternoon was a perfectly reasonable time for a nice phone call to catch up with a friend you haven’t seen in a while. Of course, Miss Carter never kept normal hours, but even she couldn’t be doing much on a rainy Sunday evening. So Jarvis picked up the phone, ready to settle in for a nice conversation with his old friend. But when Miss Carter picked up the phone, it sounded as though talking to him was the last thing she wanted to do.

“Hello, Mr. Jarvis,” she said when he identified himself. “I’m, uh, a little busy.” She sounded strangely out of breath, and he wondered if she was in some kind of trouble. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but worrying about Peggy was practically his part time job. 

“Is everything alright, Miss Carter?” he asked. 

“Yes, everything’s perfectly fine. Wh– what did you need?” 

She definitely sounded strange. She was breathing in quick pants, and he could hear the rustling of fabric in the background. 

“I was simply hoping we could catch up. We haven’t spoken in a while.” Not wanting to be rude, he added “Of course, I can call back if this is a bad time.” There was a long period of silence from the other end of the line, broken only by Peggy’s short, staccato breaths and what sounded like a muffled gasp. The rustling of fabric grew louder.

“I would love to catch up with you, Mr. Jarvis, but I’m afraid–” She cut herself off with a soft moan that had Jarvis holding the telephone away from his ear and looking at it with horror as realization dawned on him. “I’m afraid now is not ideal. I’m a little tied up at the moment,” Peggy continued. He put the phone back to his ear somewhat warily, just in time to hear the faint sound of laughter. Not Peggy, but someone else.

“I’ll be glad to call back later,” he said heartily. There was another moment of silence, another moan. He thought he heard her start to cry out a word, someone’s name perhaps, but the sound never made it past her lips. After another second, Peggy said, somewhat briskly, 

“Thank you, Mr. Jarvis.” He opened his mouth to say goodbye, but she hung up before he could get out a word. 

When Ana Jarvis walked into the living room, she found her husband sitting in his cosy chair, staring at the telephone in his hand as if he’d never seen one before. She walked towards him, wondering why he wasn’t talking to Peggy like he said he would be. 

“I thought you were calling Miss Carter, darling. Is something wrong with the telephone?” she asked. Jarvis jumped as if he hadn’t even noticed her come in. 

“No, nothing’s wrong with the phone,” he said absently. “I did call Miss Carter.” 

“Oh?” Ana arched an eyebrow, feeling more confused than ever and a good deal curious. Jarvis put the phone down and turned to Ana. 

“I believe I interrupted Miss Carter in the middle of… ah, shall we say amorous pursuits?” he said delicately, his face flushing as he spoke. Ana blinked, then remembered something, and blinked again. 

“Are you sure, Edwin?” 

“Yes, of course I’m sure,” he said defensively. 

“Of course you are,” Ana was quick to soothe. “I was simply wondering, or hoping, that you might be mistaken.” 

“Why is that?” Jarvis asked cautiously. Ana perched on the arm of the chair and looked out at the rain streaked surface of the window, trying to find an objective way to state the information. The last thing she wanted to do was sound as if she was accusing Miss Carter of something. 

“Because,” she said finally. “Chief Sousa is still at the office.” 

“And?” Jarvis didn’t seem to understand. Ana took a deep breath. 

“And if she answered her phone, Miss Carter is not,” she explained, and watched as it dawned on him. He leapt up from the chair. 

“No! Ana, you cannot possibly be suggesting– Miss Carter would never– !” 

Ana stood as well, laying a hand on her husband’s arm. She felt a bit sick to her stomach, because of course she knew Miss Carter would never. 

“It’s alright, Edwin,” she said. “I’m sure we can sort all this out quite easily.” She moved past him to the phone, dialing a number she had been made to memorize when Jarvis didn’t want to leave her alone at the hospital. 

“Auerbach Theatrical Agency, how may I help you?” Rose’s cheerful voice rang through the receiver. 

“Hello, Rose. It’s Ana Jarvis.” Ana glanced behind her to see Jarvis watching her, sitting forward on the edge of his chair. “May I speak to Chief Sousa?” she asked, ignoring Jarvis’ intense gaze.

“Yes, of course, Mrs. Jarvis. Is everything alright?” 

“Everything’s fine,” Ana assured Rose. A few seconds later, the line clicked. 

“Chief Sousa.” 

Ana exhaled, feeling the sickness grow. “Hello, Chief Sousa. It’s Ana Jarvis.” 

“Hey, Mrs. Jarvis,” he said, concern colouring his voice. “What’s up?” 

“I was just wondering if Miss Carter was there,” Ana said, twirling the phone cord around her finger. 

“Oh, no, Peggy went out a few hours ago. She said she was chasing a lead on an old case from New York. Do you want me to have her call you when she gets back?” 

“No, that won’t be necessary,” Ana said. She felt lightheaded, as if the ground beneath her was no longer solid. She looked up at Jarvis, who had been hanging on to every word she said. 

“Okay,” Sousa said. “Bye, Mrs. Jarvis.” 

“Goodbye,” she said faintly. The line went dead, but now it was her turn to sit dumbstruck with the phone in her hand. Jarvis plucked it gently from her hand. He looked as shocked as she felt. 

“Miss Carter would never…” he repeated. Ana took a deep breath. 

“This may require some more sleuthing,” she said. “Do you know where Miss Carter’s new flat is?”

“Yes, I do,” he answered. “Yes, there must be a more reasonable explanation to this.” 

A few minutes later, Ana was sitting in the passenger seat. Jarvis was behind the wheel, and the windshield wipers were steadily sweeping across the glass. The water smeared the streetlights until they were nothing more than coloured blobs. Ana leaned her head back, wishing that Jarvis had never called Peggy. She hated knowing people’s terrible secrets. 

“What will we do if it’s true?” she asked without looking at Jarvis. 

“I don’t know,” he sighed. 

“I just can’t believe it…” Ana trailed off, gazing out the window without really seeing anything. 

“I suppose we will have to tell Chief Sousa,” Jarvis said after a few minutes. 

“Perhaps. Perhaps not,” Ana said. Jarvis turned to her.

“Are you suggesting that we keep this from him?” he asked sharply. 

“I think we must consider where our loyalties lie,” was all Ana said. “Whatever Miss Carter is doing, I believe she must have a good reason for it. She loves Chief Sousa and she would never knowingly set out to hurt someone she loved. You know that as well as I do, Edwin.” She placed her hand over his on the wheel, and he turned back to the road, pacified. 

The storm was almost over when they pulled up in front of Peggy’s apartment building. The rain was barely more than mist now, but there was a damp chill in the air that had Ana pulling her coat tighter as they hurried inside. 

It was certainly not the Griffith, but it had its own sort of charm. The lobby was small but decorative, with large plants and tasteful cream wallpaper. The lights were burning brightly in gold sconces. Ana’s heels clicked on the floor as they made their way to the elevator. Jarvis seemed to know exactly where he was going, despite having only been there a few times before to help Peggy move in. He pressed the button for the third floor, then leaned against the wall. Ana stood in the middle of the elevator, clutching her purse tightly. Her distorted reflection gazed back at her. After what felt like an eternity, the elevator dinged, and the doors slid open with a soft hiss. 

Ana moved to step outside but was nearly knocked over by a woman hurrying down the hall. She looked strangely disheveled, her dark curls were out of place and her blazer was buttoned wrong. The woman grabbed Ana by the shoulders to steady her, her expression a picture of exaggerated shock.

“Oh my gosh! I am so sorry,” She patted at her curls as if she could tame them, and Ana noticed that her hands were trembling. “Silly me, not even looking where I was going, I’m such a klutz…” Her expression hardened as Jarvis stepped out of the elevator and she let go of Ana and stepped away, brushing past her into the elevator. Jarvis reached out to try and catch the woman as she went by, but she was too quick. As the elevator doors closed, she gave them a bright smile and a cheerful wave. As soon as the doors had closed, Ana turned to Jarvis. He was staring at the elevator with a pensive expression.

“What is it, dear?” Ana asked. 

“I know that woman,” he said. “She gave Miss Carter and I quite a lot of trouble back in New York,” he added, staring off at the gilded doors of the elevator. Why is Dottie Underwood here?” He shook his head and set off down the hall. Ana followed him, her shoes sinking into the plush carpet as she walked. 

When they reached Peggy’s apartment, the door was ajar. If there had been any before, there was no doubt now that Dottie had been coming out of Peggy’s apartment. Ana glanced at Jarvis before cautiously pushing the door open. He looked just as confused as she felt. 

Ana had been half expecting some grotesque scene when they stepped inside, but everything looked perfectly normal. The apartment was sparsely furnished with only the minimum of decoration. It looked as if Peggy barely spent time there, which was probably true. She was a very busy woman. There were two doors off of the living room, one to the kitchen and one to a bedroom which was hardly more than a closet. Jarvis poked his head into the bedroom and motioned for Ana to come over. She did, stepping hesitantly into the dim room. 

The view that confronted Ana when she walked inside was something she couldn’t quite make sense of, but it brought a delicate blush to her face. More and more she was wishing that they had never been placed in this situation. 

Miss Carter was lying on the bed in a state of undress that had Jarvis turning away immediately. Her hands were tied with what was, on closer inspection, her own blouse. She looked as though she were asleep, but Ana knew better. She was drugged, but probably only lightly, as her eyes were beginning to flutter open. Ana backed away, feeling more confused than she had ever been in her life. 

Peggy’s first thought was simply a string of expletives, words that would bring a blush to a sailor’s cheeks. Leave it to Dottie to leave her drugged and almost naked, tied up in her own bed. As she was pulling her hands free from the bonds, she became aware that she was not the only person in the room. Jarvis was standing in the doorway, facing away from her with a forcedly nonchalant posture. Ana was inspecting her curiously, as if unsure what she was seeing. Peggy felt her cheeks flame, and she yanked her hands free and reached for a blanket.

“Damn you, Dottie,” she cursed under her breath. “Damn, damn, damn.”

“Miss Carter, are you alright?” Jarvis asked without turning his head. 

“Yes,” she answered. “Yes, I’m fine, thank you.”  _ Just absolutely mortified.  _ Never in a million years would she have thought she would end up in this situation, and she was sure the Jarvises felt the same way. This was utterly embarrassing for everyone involved. 

Peggy wrapped the blanket around herself, and Ana handed her her clothes. They were wrinkled from being ripped off and tossed haphazardly on the floor. She pulled them on anyway, grateful to at least be less exposed, although she didn’t know how she was ever going to look Jarvis in the eye again. Her whole mind was burning up with humiliation. 

When she was dressed, she walked out to the living room in a last ditch attempt to take control of the situation. She and Jarvis stayed standing, but Ana perched on the sofa. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis, I am so sorry,” Peggy said. “I…” 

“We called Chief Sousa,” Jarvis blurted, like he couldn’t hold it in any longer. “He said you left the office a few hours ago.” 

Peggy’s heart dropped to her stomach, and she stumbled, catching herself on the arm of a chair. She felt lightheaded all of a sudden, like she might keel over, even though she’d never fainted before. She knew this was a reality she would have to confront at some point, but she’d managed to convince herself that it would be later. That she would tell Daniel later, when they were older. She would confess that she’d had an affair, that it was a strange and twisted thing but she simply couldn’t walk away from it. She would tell him that she was normally so strong, but she couldn’t resist Dottie. She needed her, in some sick way. But, she would assure him, it wasn’t love, had never been love. 

Well, that fantasy had just shattered. 

“You called Daniel,” she murmured, still clutching the chair. 

“Yes, I did,” Jarvis said. “He also told me you were chasing a lead for a case from New York. That was Dottie, wasn’t it?” 

Peggy swallowed. “Yes,” she said to the floor. “Yes, it was.” She closed her eyes and sank into the chair, burying her face in her hands. Spots danced across her vision. She felt the telltale itch of tears in her throat. 

“Miss Carter, you know what you have to do,” Ana said softly. It was the first thing she had said since Peggy had woken. Slowly, Peggy raised her head. Jarvis and Ana were looking at her expectantly. She got up and flicked the light on, then sat back down in case she felt faint again. Her heart was heavy as a stone, a dead weight of dread. 

“I know. I have to tell Daniel.” She hated even saying it out loud, but there was no escaping it. 

“Hmm, perhaps,” Ana said. “That is not necessarily what I meant, however.” 

“What? What did you mean?” Peggy’s head was spinning. What else could she possibly do in this situation? The game was up. She had to come clean.

“Well, of course you must stop seeing Miss Underwood. But what Chief Sousa doesn’t know won’t hurt him, I don’t think,” Ana said. Peggy looked at her like she’d never seen her before. 

“Mrs. Jarvis, are you truly suggesting I should keep this from Daniel?” 

“No, I just…” Ana looked to her husband for help. However, there was no way for any of them to anticipate what Jarvis said next. 

“Perhaps if you helped catch Miss Underwood, it would be enough to make up for… all the times you didn’t,” he suggested. Both women looked at him with something akin to shock. 

“Of course,” Peggy said before she had even fully registered his words. “I… Anything to try and make it better,” she added desperately. Jarvis nodded.

“That’s settled, then. We will, of course, have to tell the Chief something, but I don’t see why he would need the whole story.”

It wasn’t long before Peggy saw Dottie again, but this time she had backup. She was wearing an earpiece (despite having told everyone multiple times what a bad idea it was, she was sure Dottie would see it instantly) and she knew that Daniel was on the other end. There was a part of her that was terrified about what he might hear, but she could explain. She was feeling confident again, and it was nice. 

When she walked into her apartment, Dottie was already there, waiting for her. She looked so perfect, lounging on the sofa that was almost never used. Peggy set her bag down and walked into the living room.

“Be careful,” said Daniel over the earpiece. “You know what she’s capable of.” If she could’ve, Peggy would have replied  _ “Oh, do I ever.”  _

“Hello, Dottie,” she said. Dottie stood, smoothing out her skirt. 

“I must admit, I was surprised when you called me here,” she said. “I got used to chasing you.” Her crimson lips curled into a smile that Peggy knew was very dangerous. “I  _ liked  _ chasing you,” Dottie added. “And I liked catching you.” 

She took a step forward, a lioness stalking her prey. Peggy did something she hadn’t done since New York, since she was still fighting Dottie. She moved backwards, away from Dottie. 

“I wanted to talk to you,” Peggy said. “Just talk.” 

“Okay. Talk,” Dottie ordered. Peggy took a deep breath. This had to be the best performance of her life, and she wasn’t sure she was ready. 

“We can’t keep meeting like this. It’s too risky,” she told Dottie. “And besides, I have Daniel.” 

“I can take care of Daniel,” Dottie offered casually. “It’d be easy. I’d do it for you, Peggy.” 

“No,” Peggy said firmly. “I love him. I want him, not you.” She wasn’t lying. With each word that came out of her mouth, she was cutting the bonds that tied her to Dottie. It didn’t feel as good as she thought it would. 

“Well, I want you.” Dottie moved closer. Peggy didn’t step back this time, but it didn’t matter. Dottie stopped a few steps away from her, just a little too close, invading Peggy’s personal space just a little too much.. Her eyes were shining with something that wasn’t used to being denied. “And I don’t think much else matters.” Her voice was low, as dangerous as her long gone smile. 

“Don’t touch me,” Peggy said, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. “I’ll offer you a choice. You’ll get caught, sooner or later. You are a murderer. If you run now, I won’t send the SSR after you, as long as you promise I will never see or hear from you again.” 

“Peggy,” said Daniel in her ear. “What’s going on? This wasn’t the plan.” 

“Let them catch me,” said Dottie, and lunged. She crashed into Peggy, rougher than she’d ever been, and Peggy felt her will weakening. Dottie was impossible to refuse, even now, even when Peggy knew how high the stakes were. Peggy felt herself leaning into the kiss, Dottie’s touch. It felt so good, it always did, and there was a part of her that wanted to give up all control. But she didn’t. She couldn’t. So instead, when she curled her hand into Dottie’s hair, she gave it a sharp tug. Dottie gasped into Peggy’s mouth, and Peggy could feel her smile.

“Oh Peg,” Dottie breathed. “You’re playing rough.”

“You always do. I thought I’d give it a try,” Peggy replied. “Show you who’s boss,” she added with a smirk. Dottie’s eyes lit up, just as Peggy had suspected they would. As long as she kept Dottie here, focused on her, for just a little longer, her plan would go off without a hitch. And even though she loathed the thought of the conversations that would come afterwards, she knew that nothing was more important than capturing Dottie.

“Well, show me,” Dottie challenged. “Show me you’re the boss.” Her words sent a thrill through Peggy’s body, and she remembered something Angie had told her once:  _ “All the best acting is based in the truth. You’ve gotta find a way to relate to the character. It’s more authentic if you can mean your lines while you’re saying them.” _

She kissed Dottie again, pressing her against the wall and letting her hand travel almost absentmindedly down the slick fabric of her blouse until her fingers were dipping past the waistband of Dottie’s pants. Dottie drew in a sharp breath, her eyes practically begging Peggy to move her hand lower, and she did, down, down down… 

When the door burst open, Dottie was leaning against the wall like it was the only thing keeping her up, flushed and unkempt, and Peggy was standing next to her wiping her hand on her shirt, cool as you please. 

“Dottie Underwood, you are under arrest,” Peggy told her, folding her arms. Thompson grabbed Dottie and cuffed her hands behind her back. Dottie complied, her eyes fixed on Peggy. 

“I didn’t think you had this in you, Peg,” she said, a picture of exaggerated surprise. Peggy didn’t miss the tones lurking under it, Dottie’s teasing held as much danger as her smile. Her blue eyes seemed darker, her pupils large in the bright light. The cuffs shining on her wrists seemed at odds with her bright cardigan, but Dottie had always been a master at disguise. Only now was Peggy seeing the true Dottie, the ugliness and the anger at being denied.

“Well, I gave you a choice,” she said with a shrug. She didn’t have to fight to keep her voice even.

“I chose you, and this is what you did.” Dottie’s voice was getting louder and louder. “You turned me in. You betrayed me, Peggy!” Her voice was so shrill that it almost hurt Peggy’s ears. “I’ll tell everyone!” she threatened, thrashing against her bonds. “I’ll ruin you! You can’t hold me, I’ll always find you, I’ll–” 

And that was when Daniel punched Dottie in the face. She crumpled into the arms of a waiting agent and Daniel shook out his hand, cursing under his breath. Peggy stared at him in shock.

“Daniel,” she said faintly. “You punched her.” 

“Yeah.” He seemed about as surprised as Peggy was. “I did.”

“Thank you,” Peggy murmured. “That was a good move.” 

“Yeah…” He turned to her, tilting his head as if he needed a new angle. As if he was seeing a new side of her for the first time. 

“It’s too much to hope that you didn’t hear anything, isn’t it?” she asked, defeated. He nodded, still regarding her like he wasn’t quite sure of what he was seeing.

“We can talk about it later, though,” he said, indicating the SSR agents watching them curiously. Peggy nodded.

“Later.” It sounded like a death sentence. 

Daniel was too kind to make hasty judgements though, and although the first thing he said to her when they got in the car was “Explain.” he did a good job of hiding the edge in his tone. Peggy swallowed, staring down at her hands, unable to look at him. Even just watching him drive, his strong hands gripping the wheel a little too tight, his dark eyes staring resolutely out at the shining pavement, would have hurt too much. She couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to let go of him.

“I’m sorry,” she began, feeling each word like hot coals in her stomach. “I tried to fight her, but she’s always had power over me. I didn’t know what to do.”

“You could have told me,” Daniel said. She chanced a glance at him. His face was stone cold, eyes fixed on the road. Peggy looked away. 

“What could I have said?” Peggy scoffed. “ _ ‘I’m having an affair with a murderer but it’s really just a sick game for power, just thought you should know’ _ ?’” 

“Yes.” 

“No!” she cried. “I couldn’t have just walked in one day and said that to you!” 

“Maybe not like that,” Daniel agreed, “But you could have trusted me.”

“I do trust you,” Peggy said, picking at a flake of nail polish. She was pretty sure her hand still smelled like Dottie; she’d scrub it with hot water and soap as soon as she could. “I trust you more than anything,” she added, and it was true, but she knew what he meant.

“Look, the way I see it, it wasn’t really your fault,” he began, but Peggy cut him off.

“Of course it was my fault! I could’ve stopped anytime I wanted but I didn’t!”

“Could you have?” he asked gently, and Peggy sat back, silent. She didn’t have an answer for that.

“I should have fought her,” she said at last. “Turned her in. She’s a murderer.” 

“Isn’t that what you just did? Turned her in?” Damn him, why was he being so understanding? Why couldn’t he yell, for once, when she deserved it? 

“Fine, I could have turned her in before I let her tie me up and have her way with me,” Peggy snapped. She didn’t need to look at Daniel to know that his eyes had widened with the faint surprise that was evident in his voice when he spoke. He wasn’t trying to hide it.

“Right, you could have.” 

It occurred to Peggy that he probably hadn’t known the extent of her relationship with Dottie, had probably taken his earpiece out when he made everyone else do the same, but she had just spoken very plainly and… now he knew. Now he knew the worst of her. She almost couldn’t bear to be in the car with him and that knowledge, but leaping out into the road was the only alternative, so she clenched her hands in her lap and waited for him to speak again. 

“Peggy, it’s not about her,” he said finally. “It’s about the fact that this was happening to you, that you were doing this, and you didn’t tell me.”

“Oh, so it’s about you?” Peggy asked, her voice scathing to hide the desperation behind it. She was so desperate to fix things, and so far gone to understand that she probably couldn’t, and it was making her blood boil, making her take out the anger she felt with herself on the last person who deserved it. Not that it did anything anyway, he only ever absorbed her words, like fire on rubber, because he knew her well enough to know that she didn’t really mean them.

“Yes,” he said. “It is. It’s about us.”

And then she really couldn’t stand being in the car for another second, so she wrenched open the door at the next stoplight and stumbled out onto the pavement. They were only a block away from home – could she still call Daniel’s house home? He called her name but she slammed the door and stalked to the sidewalk, already shivering in the cold drizzle. Los Angeles didn’t have a lot of cold days but this was one of them, rainy and grey, and she relished the way the damp worked its way down to her bones in a matter of seconds, cooling the last of the poisonous fire Dottie had lit in her. She walked home, telling herself the whole way to stop calling it that, telling herself she was only going to pick up her things. If she was lucky maybe she could leave before he kicked her out. 

When she got to Daniel’s house, his car was in the driveway, and her heart didn’t sink like she had expected it too. The walk in the rain hadn’t cooled the rest of her fire, instead it had shoved her past her bleak acceptance, reminded her that she didn’t like to be cold and wet and sad. 

The memory of Dottie was still fresh in her mind, still burning at the edges with the shame she would probably always feel when she thought of what she had done, but it was no longer the only thing in her mind. She could remember a time before Dottie, when it felt as though Daniel might never be hers. When she had thought, as she thought now, that her only option was to resign herself to a life without him. Violet, Dottie, bombs and fear, so much had come between her and Daniel, and yet here she stood, in front of a house that she couldn’t stop calling home, because she knew Daniel was in it. 

She had made her choice, a long time ago, standing on a bridge with a cool glass vial and realizing it was time to move on. And another choice, when she unspooled all her vacation time just to be close to the person she loved, when she refused to give into what could maybe be called destiny and let the darkness pull him away from her. 

Here she was again, standing at a crossroads, but there was only one answer. She would always choose Daniel. So she decided. She would fight for him, but she wasn’t going to fight him anymore. 

“Peggy,” he said in a strange, tight voice when she walked in. “I thought… I didn’t think you’d come back.”

“But I did,” she replied, holding out her arms as if to say  _ “here I am.” _

“You did,” he agreed. “Why?”

“Because I love you,” she said simply. “And I never loved Dottie. It doesn’t have to be today, or this year, but I hope that at some point you can forgive me.”


End file.
